Big Hurt's new brewhouse gives his beer a home

Frank Thomas soon will take the next step in promoting his line of "Big Hurt Brew" craft beer with the opening of the Big Hurt Brewhouse restaurant.

The newly minted Major League Baseball Hall of Famer aims to open the 6,500-square-foot sports bar and restaurant in the old American State Bank Building at 6801 W. Cermak Road next month and hopes it will be a "destination" for all sports fans in the Chicago area.

"We're looking to have an upscale sports lounge (and) sports bar," the former White Sox slugger said today at a groundbreaking ceremony for the restaurant (though it has been in the works for more than a year).

The restaurant, which will include an outdoor beer garden and include parking for 120 cars, also will house offices for Big Hurt Beer, the three-year-old craft beer brand that Mr. Thomas says he'll be spending more time promoting.

"I've been offered to do restaurants all over town and never wanted to get involved until I could give my all to it," he said. "This is not a name-only restaurant. This is my business. I will be here. I invested my own money into this thing."

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A life-size statue of Frank Thomas will be on display at the new Big Hurt Brewhouse.

Despite the "brewhouse" name, no beer will be made at the restaurant.

Mr. Thomas' three available beer varieties currently on the market, all of which were brewed elsewhere, will be available at the restaurant in addition to a variety of domestic beers. Two more BHB labels that are brewed in suburban Barrington will be added shortly after the restaurant opens.

Hoping the new restaurant will lure visitors and tax dollars from around the Chicago area, the city of Berwyn sold the building and the lot to Mr. Thomas and developer Heidner Properties for about $200,000 to build the restaurant and develop its surrounding area.

Developer Rick Heidner recently signed a lease with Home Run Inn Pizza to a 4,500-square-foot restaurant across the parking lot from the brewhouse.